Conrad Veidt was an iconic German actor who left his impression on many through several haunting horror and villain roles. However, his current cult following is drawn to him through his defiance in the face of the Nazi regime as much as it is by his career. Unafraid to speak out against the Third Reich at the time of Hitler’s power, his political opinions and loyalty to his Jewish wife got him blacklisted in Germany, and made him the target of Gestapo assignation attempts.
Veidt has had many roles, most memorably his role as the hypnotized somnambulist Cesare in The Cabinet Of Dr Caligari (1920). When speaking about the role years later, he said, “No matter what roles I play, I can't get Caligari out of my system.” Despite being the monster figure of this silent horror, the subtlety in his acting made the character eerily sympathetic, and an image that would last through the years, and inspire the appearance and mannerisms of such characters as Edward Scissorhands (Tim Burton, 1990).
His most famous and highly paid role, however, was ironically as Gestapo Maj. Strasser in Casablanca (1942). Though not the star, he was the highest paid actor on the film. Veidt was often type-cast as Nazis in American and British cinema due to his nationality. Had he lived longer, sadly this probably would have continued. Only twice was he cast in a hero role in American cinema – in Nazi Agent, a b-movie in which he played two brothers, and Above Suspicion, in which he was a supporting actor. He played villains exquisitely, often with a worryingly light, almost comical element that mingled with his sinister tones to create something very twisted. This had made him a legend in Germany. In America, this meant Nazi roles, repeatedly portraying the people that had alienated him from his home. Each negative portrayal of them was a slight revenge, but he craved the variety he’d had in German film and onstage. He got a little bit of this in England, where he eventually got his dream of a heroic action role in Under The Red Robe (1937).
“I was never a villain on the stage. I always played strong, sympathetic types. My first stage role with a speaking part, believe it or not, was as a priest. It wasn't until I began acting in films that the producers and directors saw me primarily as a bizarre villain.”
He had many great roles in German cinema, in films such as Der Kongress Tanzt (1931) or Ich und die Kaiserin (1933), and Germany’s first ‘talkie’, Bride Number 69 (1929). In the 1928 silent, The Man Who Laughs, he played a unique character - Gwynplaine, a child stolen by gypsies who has his face mutilated to be sold to a freak show. He escapes, but must live his life with a horrifying grin forever carved on his face. The role is a testimony to Veidt’s acting, who managed to convey pain, fear, love, uncertainty…all with a manic grin still on his face. To create the grin, he was given tooth caps that would hook back his cheeks. In the genre of silent acting, where expressions were exaggerated in order to communicate, being restricted to acting with his eyes was a dramatic achievement for Veidt.
However, he came to rely on his career in British and American cinema after fleeing Germany in 1933 due to the rise of Hitler, knowing his defense of Jews and hatred of the Nazi party would prove dangerous. He often spoke out against them on the radio, a dangerous undertaking which he felt compelled to do. Despite this, he would eventually return to unsafe Germany to work there again as well, because he felt his English was not good enough to maintain a career in English-speaking ‘talkies’ alone.
Veidt was not highly educated. He attended the Sophiengymnasium in the Schoeneberg district of Berlin, graduating without a diploma in 1912. He came last in his class of 13. But, like many who are less prolific at school, he found a future in his natural talent for acting.
On screen, Veidt’s presence was stunning. Even in horror roles, audiences found there was often something oddly appealing about him. He had an unconventional appearance, but striking eyes and a natural charisma which resulted in the catchphrase “Women Fight for Conrad Veidt" being coined. He was almost cast in the Dracula role that made Bella Lugosi’s name, but lost it when the director for the project was changed.
He made his biggest impact on modern culture, not by playing Dracula, but through his leading role in The Man Who Laughs. If you look at Gwynplaine, you will see a striking resemblance to the original design for one of Batman’s greatest nemeses, the Joker. Bob Kane, the inventor of Batman, based the Joker’s design directly on Veidt’s appearance in this film, a fitting testimony to his prowess at villainy.
Another less likely claim to fame is the song he recorded in 1933, ‘When The Lighthouse Shines Across The Bay’. At the time, the record flopped, but remarkably became a hit in 1980, almost fifty years later, after Terry Wogan received a request to play it on the Radio 2 breakfast show. After this swell in popularity, it found its way onto a now out of print nostalgia album, Move Star Memories. It is also available on Amazon.
Veidt was not one to conform, and often took chances, in both his personal life and career. He always put “Juden” (Jew) as his ethnic identity on his job application forms, to stand by his wife and share in any prejudice she faced. He also took risks to speak out against other prejudices – in 1919 he starred in Anders als die Andern (Different From The Others). This film is sited as the first ever to deal sympathetically with homosexuality. In it, Veidt plays a homosexual concert violinist who falls in love with his male student, but ends up losing everything he has and being disgraced because of the German law at the time forbidding homosexual behavior. The narrative has a tragic ending, as did the film itself; in 1930 Hitler had it burnt, and sadly large chunks of it are now missing as a result. However, fifty minutes of scenes still remain, and are possible to obtain or to view online. It was a surprisingly sensitive and extremely daring work by Richard Oswald, co-written and co-funded by Dr. Magnus Hirschfeld, who was campaigning against the outlawing of homosexual behavior at the time. It was one of a series of educational films made by the doctor, and does not hold back in presenting its bold message.
This outspoken nature of Veidt’s became dangerous when the Nazis took power, hence his decision to flee to the UK. He was blacklisted, and when in Germany, he only escaped assassination attempts by the Gestapo through luck. Though he loved his country, he hated its leaders, which led him to support Britain in its war effort against his own land. He gave them most of his estate, and also gave the British War Relief a large portion of his salary from each film he worked on.
He was divorced twice, but stayed married to Ilona (Lily) Prager for the last decade of his life. He had one child with previous wife Felicitas Radke; Viola Vera Veidt. Despite his dicing with death in the face of Nazi Germany, he died of a heart attack whilst playing golf at the 8th hole of the Riviera Country Club, Los Angeles, California. He was playing with Arthur Field of MGM and his personal doctor, Dr. Bergman. Bergman pronounced him dead at the scene. His daughter Viola also died of a heart attack some years later.
Tragically, because he had been blacklisted, nobody in Germany was informed of Veidt’s death. He was a beloved figure, and yet no-one was allowed to know. His own family only heard the news via his ex-wife and his daughter, who had fled to Switzerland and heard about it on the radio.
Today his fans remember him for the little things; he liked theatre, cinema, fast cars, pastries, thunderstorms, gardening, swimming, and, of course, golfing. He disliked heights, flying, the number 17, wearing ties, pudding, and interviews. They also remember him for his bravery to speak when others didn’t, but mostly it is his performances that will live on and continue to stun audiences for decades. Conrad once said, “I have no illusions about my art. I am what the public made me and, consequently, I am not likely to forget my debt to them." AIB
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